Beef Brisket With Cherry Merlot Sauce And Caramelized Onions Food

CLASSIC BEEF BRISKET WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Season brisket generously on all sides with salt mixture. (Use about 2 tablespoons and reserve remaining mixture.) If possible, wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight, then bring to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place brisket in a shallow roasting pan or earthenware baking dish. Pour wine and 2 cups water over the brisket, then add cloves, garlic, bay leaves and allspice berries.
• Scatter about 1/3 of the sliced onions over brisket. Cover with foil or a tight-fitting lid. Place in oven and bake for about 3 hours or until meat is quite tender when probed with a fork. (Be careful not to overcook; you want slices, not shreds.)
• Meanwhile, place a large skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Add remaining onions and season with remaining salt mixture. As onions begin to brown, reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, turning onion slices with a spatula every few minutes until caramelized and fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to onions and simmer a few minutes more. (For more flavor, use broth from the brisket pan instead.) Onions may be prepared in advance and reheated.
• To serve, transfer brisket to a cutting board. Trim extraneous fat from meat. With a large knife, cut meat across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Strain braising liquid into a saucepan (discard solids left in strainer) and skim any rising fat from surface.
• Arrange sliced meat on a platter. Cover with caramelized onions and ladle some hot braising liquid over. Garnish with parsley sprigs and sprinkle with scallions, if using. Serve remaining juices separately.

WINE-BRAISED BRISKET OF BEEF WITH CARAMELIZED PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Season the brisket evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the wine to a boil and continue boiling until it reduces to half its original volume, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Evenly sprinkle the brisket all over with flour, shaking off excess. Heat a heavy Dutch oven over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and when it is almost smoking, turn the heat to medium-high, carefully add the brisket, and sear until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a platter. Pour off the fat from the Dutch oven and add another 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic, shallots, carrots, celery, and leek, and sauté until glossy and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of the apricots and all the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and tomato paste, and continue to cook 1 minute more.
• Return the browned brisket to the Dutch oven and add the reduced wine and 2 quarts stock or broth. If the brisket is not completely covered with liquid, add enough extra stock, broth, or water to cover. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot and carefully place it in the oven. Cook until the brisket is fork tender, 2 to 2½ hours. Meanwhile, blanch and peel the onions as instructed in the tips, leaving them whole. Cut the remaining apricots into 1/4-inch strips.
• In a small sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and sauté the pearl onions until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the apricot strips and pour in the remaining 1/4 cup stock or broth, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
• When the meat is done, carefully transfer it to a heated platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Boil the liquid in the Dutch oven until it thickens and reduces to about 1 quart, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary with more salt and pepper.
• To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the brisket across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices on heated serving plates or on a heated platter, spoon half the sauce over it, and garnish with the pearl onions and apricots. Sprinkle with minced parsley and pass the remaining sauce on the side. Serves 8.

MERLOT SAUCE WITH BEEF

Steps:

• Combine winel, chicken and beef broths in a large pot and boil uncovered over high heat until mixture is reduced to 2 cups. Procedure will take about 1 hour. May prepare a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Mix butter and flour in small bowl.
• Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium high heat.
• Season steaks with salt and pepper.
• Cook steaks until medium brown throughout, 5-6 minutes per side.
• Remove from pan to serving platter.
• Add green onion, garlic and thyme to skillet and stir to blend.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of the reduced wine mixture to skillet.
• Cook over high heat scrapping up brown bits.
• Add butter/flour mixture and boil sauce until thickened. Consistency should coat spoon.
• Serve steaks with sauce, about 1/4 cup sauce per steak.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

BEEF BRISKET WITH CHERRY-MERLOT SAUCE AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325.
• Season brisket all over with the salt and pepper.
• In a large roasting pan with a tight-fitting lid or a dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the brisket and brown well on all sides.
• Transfer to a plate.
• Add the onion and carrot to the pan and saute until golden, about 6 minutes.
• Add the garlic and saute about 2 minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes and juices, 1 cup of the wine and the bay leaf, mix well and bring to a boil.
• Return brisket to the pan, cover and place in the oven.
• Cook, basting occasionally, for about 3 hours, or until the brisket is fork-tender.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the juices.
• Transfer the brisket to a deep platter and cover with aluminum foil.
• Refrigerate until cold, up to overnight.
• Let the pan juices cool, then pass through a sieve or food mill into a bowl.
• Discard the solids and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Just before serving, preheat the oven to 350.
• Slice the brisket thinly and arrange on an oven-proof serving platter.
• Cover with aluminum foil and warm in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the onions: Warm the olive oil in a large fry pan and add the sliced onions.
• Saute, stirring often, until golden brown and sweet.
• Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• While onions are sauteing, pour the remaining cup of wine into a saucepan over high heat.
• Add 1/4 cup of the dried cherries and bring to a boil.
• Boil until wine is reduced by half and then stir in reserved brisket juices.
• Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, remove the brisket from the oven.
• Pour the sauce over the meat and then top with the caramelized onions.
• Sprinkle with the remaining dried cherries and serve immediately.